Self-contained vehicle refrigeration unit

Abstract

A self-contained vehicle refrigeration unit including a refrigeration unit housing, a refrigeration unit drive system having a driving device that is separate from a driving device for a vehicle on which the refrigeration unit is mounted, an evaporator section and a condensing section. The drive system, the evaporator section and the condensing section are mounted within the unit housing so that none of the components of the vehicle refrigeration unit protrudes into a payload or cargo space of a vehicle body.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle refrigeration unit comprising: a refrigeration unit housing comprising a substantially rectangular body having a pair of longer sides and a pair of shorter sides each connected to a respective one of the longer sides, the refrigeration unit housing having a first half and a second half being separated by an imaginary line extending parallel to the shorter sides and perpendicular to the longer sides of the refrigeration unit housing;   a drive system for driving at least one driven component, the drive system including a driving pulley and a drive shaft;   an evaporator section; and   a condensing section; wherein the evaporator section and the condensing section are each located completely within only the second half of the refrigeration unit housing and the drive system, including the drive pulley and the drive shaft, is located completely within only the first half of the refrigeration unit housing.     
     
     
       2. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 1, wherein the drive system comprises a driving device that is separate from a driving device for a vehicle on which the refrigeration unit is mounted. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one driven device comprises a compressor for being driven by the drive system. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 1, wherein the condensing section comprises a condenser unit and at least one condenser fan and the evaporator section comprises an evaporator coil and at least one evaporator blower. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one evaporator blower is located entirely within the unit housing so as to not protrude into a vehicle body. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the evaporator coil is disposed at an angle of about 25 to 90 degrees relative to a bottom section of the unit housing. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 6, wherein the evaporator coil and the at least one evaporator blower are substantially parallel. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one evaporator blower comprises means for redirecting input air flow by about a 90 degree turn. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one condenser fan and the at least one evaporator blower each comprise an internal driving device which receives power by the drive system. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 9, wherein the internal driving device in each of the at least one condenser fan and the at least one evaporator comprises an electric motor which DC voltage from the drive system. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one condenser fan and the at least one evaporator blower are not directly driven by the drive system. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 4, wherein the drive system comprises at least one driving device;   at least one driven component driven by the at least one driving device;   a single belt operatively connected to the at least one driving device and the at least one driven member so that the belt is driven by the at least one driving device to drive the at least one driven component; and   a support member supporting the at least one driving device, the at least one driven member, and the single belt so that the single belt is located on a first side of the support member and the at least one driving device and the at least one driven device are located on a second side of the support member.   
     
     
       13. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of driven components mounted on the support member, wherein the support member comprises a machined plate. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one driving device and the plurality of driven components have a drive shaft and a driving pulley connected thereto, the driving pulleys being located on the first side of the multi-drive plate. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 13, wherein the at least one driving device and the plurality of driven components are securely mounted on the support member to form an integral unit and so that the pulleys of each of the at least one driving device and the plurality of driven components are aligned relative to each other. 
     
     
       16. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, wherein the at least one driving device comprises one of a diesel engine, an electric motor, a gasoline engine, and a natural gas powered engine. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, wherein the at least one driving device comprises a main driving device, the drive system further comprising an auxiliary driving device for driving the at least one driven component when the main driving device is not driving the at least one driven component. 
     
     
       18. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 17, wherein the auxiliary driving device comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, further comprising at least one tension pulley for maintaining a desired tension in the single belt. 
     
     
       20. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 19, further comprising a spring for biasing the at least one tension pulley into a tensioning position. 
     
     
       21. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, wherein the single belt is disposed in a serpentine arrangement on the at least one driving device, the at least one driven member and the at least one tension pulley. 
     
     
       22. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 12, further comprising an alternator driven by the at least one driving device. 
     
     
       23. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the at least one driving device is connected at a first end to the single belt and at a second end to the alternator. 
     
     
       24. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 22, wherein the evaporator section includes at least one evaporator blower and the condensing section includes at least one condenser fan, the alternator is operatively connected to the at least one evaporator blower and the at least one condenser fan for supplying power thereto. 
     
     
       25. A vehicle refrigeration unit for being mounted on a vehicle body, the vehicle refrigeration unit comprising: a refrigeration unit housing comprising a substantially rectangular body having a pair of longer sides and a pair of shorter sides each connected to a respective one of the longer sides, the refrigeration unit housing having a first half and a second half being separated by an imaginary line extending parallel to the shorter sides and perpendicular to the longer sides of the refrigeration unit housing, the housing having a rear portion located adjacent the vehicle body and a front portion located spaced from a vehicle body;   a drive system for driving at least one driven component;   an evaporator section; and   a condensing section; wherein the drive system, the evaporator section and the condensing section are each located within the refrigeration unit housing, the drive system is located to extend from the rear portion to the front portion of the refrigeration unit housing and is contained within only the first half of the refrigeration unit housing, the condensing section and the evaporator section are located only in the second half of the refrigeration unit housing to be spaced from the drive system, the condensing section is located in the front portion of the refrigerator unit housing and the evaporator section is located in the rear portion of the refrigeration unit housing directly behind the condensing section.     
     
     
       26. A vehicle refrigeration unit comprising: a refrigeration unit housing;   a drive system for driving at least one driven component;   an evaporator section including an evaporator blower; and   a condensing section including a condenser fan; wherein   the drive system, the evaporator section and the condensing section are each located within the refrigeration unit housing and the drive system is mechanically independent of the evaporator blower and the condenser fan.   
     
     
       27. The vehicle refrigeration unit of claim 26, wherein the refrigeration unit housing comprises a substantially rectangular body having a pair of longer sides and a pair of shorter sides each connected to a respective one of the longer sides, the refrigeration unit housing having a first half and a second half being separated by an imaginary line extending parallel to the shorter sides and perpendicular to the longer sides of the refrigeration unit housing, the drive system is located completely within only the first half of the refrigeration unit housing and the condensing section and the evaporator section are located completely within only the second half of the refrigeration unit housing so as to be separate spaced from the drive system.